1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an archery bow sight comprising a sight mount attachable to an archery bow, a sight pin retaining means attachable and adjustable in at least one slot in the sight mount, and a sight pin adjustably retained in the sight pin retaining means. A sight pin protector may be provided to shield the sight pin and the sight pin retaining means from direct blows to prevent the sight pin from becoming bent, broken or misaligned. In addition, the sight mount may be provided with an adjustable quiver attachment feature whereby the quiver is attachable to the sight mount in a pivotable fashion to provide rotatable adjustment from an upright position. The sight pin of the present invention provides improved target sighting due to its generally V-shaped configuration. The sight pin retaining means of the present invention provides for replacement of a damaged sight pin without requiring realignment in either the horizontal or the vertical adjustment plane.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Archery bow sights provided with sight pins adjustable in at least one plane are used by archery enthusiasts, particularly hunters, for improved sighting of the target. Sight pins used with archery bow sights are generally adjustable in two planes which are substantially perpendicular with respect to one another. Sight pins are generally adjustable in a vertical plane to compensate for the distance to the target and are adjustable in a horizontal plane to compensate for windage.
There are two conventional types of sight pins presently used with archery bow sights. One has a threaded shaft with a solid sphere sight configuration at one end, and the other has a threaded shaft with a hollow ring sight configuration at one end. In using the sight pin comprising a solid sphere, the solid sphere is superimposed over the desired target for sighting. This prior art sight pin however, covers too large an area, and small or distant targets, in particular, may be entirely blocked out by the spherical sight. The second type of sight pin which has a full circle sight configuration is too difficult to steady up and contributes to more movement than desired and inexact centering of the target within the ring. The prior art sight pins are inadequate for accurately sighting distant and/or small targets.
Several prior art patents relate to gun sights, which are somewhat different in principle than archery bow sights since archery bow sights are single sights while gun sights are generally two sights, one rear sight and one front sight, both of which move with movement of the gun. U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,423 teaches a secondary sighting system for use on a rifle when the primary telescopic sight is inoperable, the secondary sighting system comprising a bead-type front sight and an open notch rear sight. U.S. Pat. No. 1,476,884 teaches several configurations for gun sights, the optical effect of which is to create a sight bead. This type of sight is impractical in operation because each sight must be adjusted before use to fit the interpupillary distance of the user. U.S. Pat. No. 1,295,075 teaches a pendulum-type sighting device which is insertable into the bore of a rifle to aid alignment of the permanent sights. Round sighting apertures are used to align the permanent multiple sights on the barrel of the rifle. U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,598 teaches a sling shot providing alignment of front and rear sights.
The shaft of prior art sight pins is generally threaded and threadedly engaged through an internally threaded retaining sleeve of a sight pin retaining means. When the sight pin retaining means is fixed on the sight mount, the sight pin is adjustable in a horizontal plane by screwing the sight pin into or out from the threaded retaining sleeve. A locking nut may be provided to securely retain the threaded sight pin on the threaded retaining sleeve and to lock the sight pin at the desired horizontal adjustment. The threaded sleeve is also provided with means for mounting and retaining the sight pin retaining means at the desired vertical position on a sight mount attachable to an archery bow. If the prior art sight pin and/or sight pin retaining means becomes damaged and must be replaced, the sight pin must be unscrewed from the threaded sleeve and the locking nut, and a new sight pin re-threaded in the sight pin retaining means. The new sight pin, however, cannot be installed in precisely the same horizontal alignment as the sight pin it replaced, except by inaccurate methods, such as by counting the number of turns or approximately measuring the length of the sight pin projecting from the retaining means. Whenever this type of sight pin is replaced in the field, the new sight pin must be readjusted in the horizontal position to achieve, as best as possible, the horizontal alignment of the sight pin it replaced.
Several prior art patents relate generally to tools having replaceable bits. U.S. Pat. No. 2,968,489 teaches a cutting tool with a blade chuck for gripping a blade which is retractable into the handle of the tool. Locking of the blade at various projection distances from the handle is made possible by a locking sleeve arrangement. U.S. Pat. No. 2,277,961 teaches a brace for bits and the like having smooth shanks. Shoulders on the stem of the tool abut a shoulder in the chuck to limit the extent to which the tool may be inserted into the chuck. U.S. Pat. No. 4,215,871 teaches a hand-held collet with a plurality of jaw pieces mounted on the ends of steel rods. Unscrewing the collet collar forces the jaw pieces apart due to the force exerted by the steel rods, and thereby releases the tool. U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,731 discloses a vertically and horizontally adjustable arrow support and an arrangement whereby the projection of an arrow spacing plunger is adjustable, and the horizontal placement of the plunger may be locked.